The Six Best Icebreakers for Teams 

Icebreakers for teams are designed for people to ease up in social situations. They help speed up group familiarity and ease the socialization process. Essentially, icebreakers warm up the conversations between people and allow them to get an initial level of comfort.

This article will discuss some of the best team-building icebreakers and why these activities are suitable for team building.

Why Are Icebreakers Useful for Teams?

Statistics on employee productivity show that companies with highly engaged employees are 22 percent more profitable. Thus, employees that are engaged and have camaraderie in their workplace are more productive and consistently offer high-quality results.

A strong company culture requires that each member has high levels of comradeship with others in the team. These bonds aren’t developed overnight. Rather, they are forged by ongoing personal and professional dealings among team members over many months or even years.

One of the simplest methods for companies to guarantee their employees establish camaraderie is to use icebreakers for teams, which are short and fun activities designed to help people get to know one another intimately.

How to Choose the Icebreakers Most Suitable for You

Most people assume that every icebreaker has the same purpose. However, this is far from the truth. There are many types of icebreakers, all geared towards different groups of people and expected outcomes.

For example, “introductory icebreakers” are designed to encourage interactions among participants who meet for the first time. “Team-building icebreakers” help employees work more effectively towards shared goals, and “topic exploration icebreakers” keep things moving and re-energize participants during meetings.

The Best Icebreakers for Teams

The following are some of the best team-building icebreakers you can use that everyone in your team will enjoy.

1. Two Truths and a Lie

Here’s a simple way to do it:

• Once everyone has assembled, have them come up with two things that are true about themselves and one that is untrue.

• Have each participant give their ideas.

• Have the group vote and determine which of the facts is a lie.

This exercise promotes group interaction and helps people get to know one another as individuals.

2. Whodunit

• Divide your team into pairs or groups.

• On a notecard, have each individual write down something unusual they’ve done (e.g., scuba diving, living in five different countries, eating four mighty zingers in thirty minutes—the sillier, the better).

• Put the note cards in a hat, shake it up, and have each participant choose a notecard to read aloud.

• The reader must then try to figure out “whodunit” and why they came to that conclusion.

3. One-Word

One word is a simple icebreaker to use at the start of a meeting.

• Divide your team into small groups of four or five.

• Then, ask them a simple question, such as “What one word would you use to describe our corporate culture?” and allow each team five or ten minutes to respond.

• Teams will have in-depth conversations before deciding on their one word. Then, invite each team to share their responses with the rest of the group, allowing for even more discussion.

4. Charades

You can never go wrong with this traditional party game, whether you have a huge team or a few employees.

The game of charades is all about acting. The idea is to use just your acting talents to describe an object, movie, book, or person. For example, if you decide to use movies,

• Allow one person to choose the film and write it down on paper.

• That person will then select one member of the group and pass the piece of paper to them.

• As others try to guess the film, that person will have to act out something that hints at the film.

5. Have You Ever

Have You Ever is the same as Never Have I Ever.

Here are the rules for this game:

• Request that everyone raise five fingers.

• Someone makes a statement that begins with “Have you ever” or “Never have I ever,” and then says something intriguing. “Have you ever been on TV?” for example.

• If anyone has done this at any time in their lives, they must fold one finger.

• The person who folds all five fingers first is the winner.

This entertaining icebreaker will forever alter your perception of some colleagues!

6. Would You Rather

There’s no better way to get to know your coworkers than asking them bizarre questions.

Would You Rather is a simple icebreaker that entails asking questions that begin with the phrase “would you rather?”

Give someone two scenarios and ask them to select one. Make it more exciting by putting them in difficult situations.

Here are some suggestions:

• Would you rather live forever or get a new superpower every day?

• Would you rather never be able to use the phone or a computer again?

• Which would you prefer: never being able to laugh again or never being able to smile again?

Learn more: What is Ice Breakers?

Endnote

To help your employees strengthen their workplace relations, encourage interaction in a style that most individuals are comfortable with. Since everyone is in it together, icebreakers are among the best team-building tools.